Providing
medication for
your pet may be done for two reasons: as a preventative step
(heartworm medication) or to treat disease (anything from
an infection to major illness, such as cardiac disease).
Giving the medication as directed and making sure the
pet takes it are extremely important. Unfortunately, medication
doesn't work unless the pet swallows it.

Giving Pills and Tablets
The most effective way to give a pill is to put it into the
mouth and make sure it is swallowed. Some pets, especially
cats, dislike having their mouths opened or objects placed
in them. With practice, giving pills takes place in only
a few seconds and it is over before the pet can put up
a fuss.

Place one hand over the pet's head so that the index finger
is on one side of the mouth and the thumb is on the other
side. Tilt the nose upward. Hold the pill in the other hand
between the thumb and forefinger. Using the middle finger,
push down on the teeth of the lower jaw while applying slight
pressure to the corners of the mouth with the restraining
hand.

Drop the pill as far back into the mouth as possible. If
plausible, give it a poke onto the back of the tongue with
the index finger. Close the pet’s mouth quickly and
stroke the throat to encourage swallowing. Often a quick
short breath of air onto the nose of the pet will startle
a pet into swallowing quickly.

An alternative — and less invasive — method of giving pills
is to put them in food. A “meatball” of canned
food, peanut butter, cheese or regular butter will all work
— if you have a pet that will gobble up the treat quickly.
If your dog or cat likes to take his time licking away at
the food gift, the medication may remain on the floor as
a leftover. It may also be spit out as soon as your pet can
taste it.

Precautions: Some medications may not be broken into pieces
because they have a protective coating. This coating dissolves
at the appropriate rate for absorption of the medication
into the body. Breaking the pill into pieces may alter the
absorption. Many pills are made to rapidly dissolve and
will become a mushy pile of medication once placed in the
mouth or in food.

Giving Liquids
Administering liquids is generally easier than giving pills.
Most liquid medications come with a dropper for measuring
the dose and are commonly used for cats and small dogs.

Hold the pet's head in the same manner as described above
but do not open the mouth. Slide the dropper into the cheek
pocket and squirt the medicine between the teeth. It runs
between the teeth and to the back of the mouth to be swallowed.
Keep the head tilted (but not too high) until the pet swallows.
Without swallowing, most of the medication will be spit out
when the head is released.

Precautions: Holding the mouth open and squirting the liquid
into the back of it may result in gagging. If the sudden
squirt of liquid startles the pet, some of the medication
may be inhaled (aspirated) into the lungs. Holding the head
and giving medication between the teeth will prevent this.

Other Considerations
Some pets, particularly cats, will salivate and drool excessively
when given medication. Medications may have a bitter taste,
which induces the salivation. Cats must often be restrained
by a second person to ensure that medication is given in
a quick and efficient manner. Wrapping the cat’s
body in a towel helps keep nails from doing damage.

Many pets will learn to recognize the medication bottle
and disappear at the sight of it. If giving pills totally
eludes the pet owner, talk to the veterinarian to see if
the medication comes in a liquid form.

Most animals will tolerate being given medication reasonably
well. If a treat follows it, they may even look forward to
receiving the pill! Although administering medication is
awkward at first, anyone can become proficient at it with
practice.

This article is provided as a general overview of the topic.
Always consult your veterinarian for specific information
related to diseases or medical care for pets.